


Okami

by BigThonk



Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (Manga), 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Yokai Kurosawa, Yôkai, light gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:13:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29627535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BigThonk/pseuds/BigThonk
Summary: Adachi is part of a small village, Toyokawa. Him and his mother live there, not wealthy or rich. But determined to help out his mother when she gets sick, he sets out into the forest to look for the cure-all herb that he believes exist, despite the dangers that lurk there. Will he make it out in one piece?
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. The Forest

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work. I was inspired by the picture the author drew. May be some smut or not. I read up on some yokai, please correct me if I'm wrong. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> https://twitter.com/toyotayou/status/1355354279825997826

Residing in the small village, Adachi Kiyoshi and his mother run a small business selling various foods. They earn enough to keep food on the table since its just the two of them, but other accomidies such as clothes are a bit expensive. So Adachi washes the robes he has on his back daily, sewing them when new holes appear. Wanting his mother to keep the money for herself since she is growing old. Not wanting to burden his mother with more work, he is satisfied with what he has.

Despite this, he does want some things, such as a new brush or some sumi ink for his hobby. He saves up little by little to buy himself some supplies for his art hobby. His mother constantly asks why doesn't he sell his paintings or drawings but Adachi simply shakes his head, just not believing that people would want to buy his work so he keeps it to himself.

Time goes on and his mother develops a cough. He looks at her in concern, "Mom, are you okay?" She nods her head and smiles at him while she waves her hand to dismiss the topic. "Yes, I am fine. It's just a small cough that's all. It'll go away soon." He looks at her with uncertainty, but nods his head anyways to ease his mother. He just hopes it doesn't get worse.

Adachi's 30th birthday hits, and his mother celebrates with him. Her cough is a lot more frequent and a lot worse than before. Heavy, wet coughs that often lead her voice rough from how violent it is. He grows increasingly worried that it might be a disease. "Mom, we need to go see a doctor. Your cough! It's getting worse." She shakes her head as she coughs. Adachi holding her up as she gets weaker and weaker everyday. After catching her breath, she speaks, "No. We both know we can't afford a doctor with our money. Much less medicine. It'll go away soon. It's just a small sickness that'll soon pass, okay?" Adachi looks doubtful, fear of losing her.

"But Mom-!"

"No, Adachi." She says firmly. Voice rough, and dull. He lets out a heavy shaky breath," I-I just don't want you to get worse. If it means spending money to help you then-" She shakes her and takes his hand in hers and bringing her hand up to his face as she smiles at him. "It's okay. Everything will be okay." He knows it won't be.

A week after his birthday, he wonders around the town, passing by herb shops, and some bookstores on medicine. He makes a quick stop by a familiar herb shop owned by a friend, Fujisaki Nozomi, a well known herbalist in the village. She welcomes him with a smile, "Welcome back Adachi-kun."

He bows in a greeting towards her and asks, "Do you have any cure all herbs?" He just wants to make sure it cures his mother of any illness, maybe it is a cough, but he doesn't know. She looks at him curiously, stepping out behind her counter and walking towards him, "I don't think so, a cure-all herb may not even exist. Why do you ask?" His shoulders slump as his mood gets depressing. Letting out a breath he speaks, "My mother, she's ill. I don't know what it is but I read in a book that there exists a herb that cures-all illnesses, no matter what it is." He fidgets with the sleeves of his robes, dread and hopelessness gripping him. "I've asked almost every shop in the village, none have heard of it and none believe it exists. The medical books aren't helping either, as a lot of illnesses have coughs as one of their symptoms. I-I'm just-," he breathes in a deep breath, hoping it'll ground him, "...scared. I don't want her to die..." He rubs his eyes to rid of the tears that are threatening to spill down.

She looks at him with an upset face, not liking seeing her friend cry. "I'm sorry Adachi, but I don't think it exists. If that was an herb that everyone knew about. Then a lot of diseases would have gone extinct." He nods in understanding and smiles at her with red eyes. "I can take a look in my book and see what I can find if that helps?" He nods his head once more and she smiles walking behind her counter and pulling up a heavy, thick book. It lands with a thud and she opens it, illustrations of different plants with their properties are listed. She flips page through page, seeing the various herbs and plants. The door to her shop opens once more and in steps in another person they both know so well, Rokkaku. He comes in with a smile and a basket and greets both Adachi and Fujisaki, "Hello, Adachi-san! Fujisaki-san!" Fujisaki smiles at him and bows a bit, " Hello, Rokkaku-san." He looks over Adachi's shoulder and sees the book, curiosity shinning on his face. "What are you looking for Fujisaki-san?"

"I'm looking for some herbs for Adachi-kun."

"Adachi-san?" She looks at Adachi and he smiles awkwardly at Rokkaku. "M-my mother, she's ill." Rokkaku's eyes widen in concern and surprise, "Really?! That's horrible!" Adachi nods his head in agreement. "I'm trying to cure her. But no luck so far. If only there was a cure-all..," he mumbles the last part to himself but Rokkaku heard it and perks up.

"I heard about the cure-all!" Adachi looks at him in mild surprise," R-really?" Rokkaku nods his head, "My grandfather used it on my grandmother when she was sick, he wanted to save her and found the cure-all herb." Adachi feels hope creep inside his heart, "Do you know where he found it?" Rokkaku nods his head, "He told my mother that he found it in the forest next to the village." His face becomes grim as he continues, "He said that he saw different _yokai_ on his way to find the herb. Many that were said to prey on humans and devour them. He said he found the herb on the biggest, thickest tree in the forest. A _yokai_ of tree branches as horns and white robes gave it to him if he can prove that he was worthy of the herb and true to his purpose of why he wanted to use the herb. He didn't say what he did to prove himself but he got the herb in the end and cured my grandmother." Adachi blanches at the word yokai as he stares at the ground, he didn't want to be eaten, but for his mother...he would try his best to help her. Even if he comes back missing an arm or leg. At least then, he would still be alive...Right?

Fujisaki looks at Adachi and sighs. She closes the book knowing what he was going to do but she was going to convince him not to. Adachi looks up at both of them, eyes nervous yet determined as he resolves himself. "Can you help m-me prepare? For the t-trip?" Both look up at him, Rokkaku with surprise and Fujisaki with a stern face. "Adachi-kun, no! You can't go, not with yokai wandering about the forest. You may not even come back!" Rokkaku nods and holds Adachi by his shoulders, "She's right Adachi-san! You can't go! I don't want you to die!" 

"I can continue searching in my book for other herbs that can help your mom! It's too dangerous!" Adachi looks conflicted but he shakes his head. "We don't even know what she has Fujisaki-san, for all we know it could be incurable. Doctors are too expensive along with the medicine. I-I am scared, but I don't want her to die. So please..." Fujisaki sighs and heads in her stock room and holds out 4 powdered herbs towards him, a kind smile on her face. "Take this, mix it with water, and it should work as a disinfectant and help with small sicknesses like the influenza. And a minor fever, so please, use it sparingly." Adachi nods his head as he takes the powdered herbs from her. Rokkaku contemplates with a hand on his chin as he gets struck with an idea as he pulls out from inside his basket azuki rice wrapped in a cloth. "I don't know if this will work but I heard that Okami's protect those who ask for it in return for their favorite food. But if one doesn't turn up then please use it as food." Adachi takes both gifts and bows towards them. Rokkaku and Fujisaki looking at him with worrying faces, "Please come back alive will you Adachi-kun?" 

"Don't die Adachi-san! Please!" 

"I-I'll come back! Please take care of my mother while I'm gone!" Adachi hurries home, leaving the shop. He leaves at dusk in secret. Knowing his mother wouldn't let him leave. 

Time passes and it is dusk, Adachi has packed for the trip, using some twine to keep his luggage together and items wrapped up in cloth to carry the food and powdered herbs Fujisaki and Rokkaku gave him, along with some flint they've used for fire starting and more food with water. Wearing thick robes to help him from the cold, he sets out to the forest. It gets progressively darker as the time passes, once he reaches the forest, its night. Crickets are chirping in the night as he opens his sack, grabbing the flint and a rock along with a thick stick. He lights it creating a torch and putting away his stuff along with the rock he steps into the forest. Feeling watched with every step he took.

Between the trees, lies a wolf, waiting.

In her herbal shop, Fujisaki can only pray for his safe return.


	2. I Hope I Don't Die

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably add another chapter. But we'll see.
> 
> Enjoy.

Step by step, he enters the forest, hearing the occasional hoots from the owls in the trees and some not so animal sounds. Adachi is scared and anxious, cautious as he is on alert. Consistently checking his surroundings as he walks further into the forest, torch held high to light up the way. 

From a distance, he hears thudding on the ground, light tremors being made by whatever was thudding the ground. Adachi doesn't want to find out what was causing the tremors but in order to go up the path, he must continue forward. 

A wolf follows from a distance, observing. 

* * *

Adachi gets closer to the sound, the thudding getting louder and louder as he nears the source, the tremors shaking the ground a bit. As he gets closer, it seems to get darker and darker, the light of the moon no longer bright as his torch seems to become a dull grey. The air thicker and heavier as he breathes in, almost as if its unpure. Leaves rustle from the sheer force of the tremors, he steps closer and closer. Suddenly, it stops. Adachi is shaking, trembling, his eyes scattering around as he frantically looks behind him and in front, side to side. There's nothing. He's breathing heavily, swallowing spit that had pooled in his mouth as he moves to take a step forward, he stops when he hears the bushes rustling. His heart jumps to his throat as dread drops like a ball in his stomach, trembling fingers holding the torch tightly as he tries to keep his light steady but to no use. The rustling gets closer and closer as blood pounds in his ears, rushes through his whole being as he stays there frozen. It stops and out comes a rabbit, small and unthreatening as he lets out a deep breath that he wasn't realizing he was holding out. Relief sags into his being like honey as he calms down. He smiles, relieved and reaches out to touch the small rabbit. Hand reaching out until something tells him to retract it _quickly._

He does so and in that moment, something whizzes in front of him, a sickening crack and a heavy **thud.** A large face, stares back at him, bigger than his own being, it smiles at him in a sickening way. Adachi pales, dread settling deep into his bones as he trembles violently. Breathing picking up as he stumbles back, away from the huge face. A quick look shows him that **it** had a human face. It looked like an old man in his 40s, squinty eyes with a huge nose and lips along with a beard and bushy brows. But it was far from human, it rolls back and forth, cracks are heard under it as it rolls. It dawns on Adachi, that it was the rabbit that had been crushed. _It could've been him if he had stepped further. He could've died._

It starts to speak to him. 

"Ahh~! Why didn't you step further?! I could've eaten you! I'm hungry! This puny rabbit won't fill me up! Do a good deed and let me eat you? You would be so filling. Come on~!" It's voice sounds very human like, but there's something off about it, Adachi can't tell. He stays there frozen, staring, eyes flickering towards the pool of blood on the ground that came from the rabbit. He feels bile rise up his throat as he whimpers in fear. He looks up at the giant disembodied head and runs when it moves to jump on him. He runs deeper into the forest, he doesn't know where he is going, but he needs to get away as fast as he can. Thuds are heard behind him as he runs, trying not to trip on branches and roots that are sticking out the floor. His torch light dies out, discarding it quickly, he sees an old house off in the distance, and doesn't think twice heading towards it. His lungs are burning as he has tears in his eyes, breaths dry and rapid as he pushes himself to keep running. His clothes tugged on by the twigs and bushes, ripping and tearing at his clothes, cutting his skin, but he doesn't care. He just needs to get away. The thing is laughing at him as he runs, clearly enjoying itself as it chases Adachi. 

Finally, after what seems like and eternity, Adachi reaches the clearing where the house is and quickly runs inside, closing the door and silent as the thuds come to a stop and a deep mumbling is heard as the thuds are getting farther and farther away until they can't be heard anymore. He finally catches his breath as he falls to the floor, on his hands and knees. Sweat, tears, and blood on his skin. After a minute or two, he finally pays attention to his surroundings, its dusty and the air is strangely warm on his cold skin. It feels _safe._ The air doesn't seem dark, in fact, it looks bright as the moon shines high above, Adachi looks around, sliding doors line the wall, a firepit with a pot hanging over it. It's easier to breathe in, not heavy and dense like before. A few windows here and there, but Adachi doesn't look through them, in fear of what he might find and see. Heading towards the sliding doors, he slides them open. _A freshly made futon?_ It doesn't look dusty like the rest of the house, he looks around the small house and sees no one. He wonders who was here, or what was here. _If it was dangerous, it would've killed him already, right?_

He decides to trust whatever this is and sets his luggage down, his cuts start to ache and burn, he is both physically and mentally tired. A wave of exhaustion hitting him especially after that encounter. He opens his sac and takes out the flint and stone, noticing that the firepit already has fresh firewood, he starts a few sparks and manages to start a fire, the warmth quickly causing Adachi to let the last of his guard down. He uses some of the powder Fujisaki gave him and takes care of his small cuts.

He eats a bit and decides it's time to sleep. Despite the house feeling oddly safe, he keeps the fire going, not wanting the light to go out as it gives him a sense of safety, keeping the dangers away. He falls asleep after awhile. 

A white wolf is seen through the window, almost as if guarding the house Adachi is in. It stays there, unmoving as the night passes. 

* * *

The rays of dawn break through the windows, stirring Adachi awake as some birds chirp outside. The fire is long out and Adachi sits up slowly, still trying to process what had happened.

_Was it all a dream?_

Adachi looks around and sees the cuts on his hands and some on his legs and arms. _No, it definitely happened alright._ His body sore as he gets up, his clothes are in bad shape, holes and tears litter his green robe. He puts it away and decides to fix it later, taking out another one and hanging it on his arm, he thinks. _Are there any rivers or streams nearby? I really hope so._ Adachi is hit with last night's events and shudders in fear, will he have to live through that again? Will there be worse? He didn't want to leave this strangely safe house but he has too. He gets an idea then, what if he uses the house here as a base? He'll adventure during the day and come back at night before the yokai come out. He doesn't have much time, he'll have to hurry if he wants to save his mother. He resolves himself and grabs his dirty clothes and his change of clothes and sets out to look for a stream or river. 

He avoids the way he came from and goes the opposite direction, still on alert. After some time, he hears no rivers or streams, nothing, He contemplates on giving up but the idea of being dirty and unbathed doesn't sit well with him and he continues. Until he hears an odd sound of popping. _Bubbles?_

He follows the sound and is lead to a thick tree wrapped with a thick rope. Along the rope are white talismans, orbs of light surrounding it as he approaches it. Reaching out to touch one, the orb bursts like a bubble and Adachi looks in wonder as he smiles. He reaches out to another and does the same until a small glowing green creature appears from the orb. A white piece of clothing covering them as a bowl resides on their head. A kodama, harmless tree spirits. Adachi heard stories of them when he was younger from his mother, he always wondered how they looked like. Adachi smiles in wonder as he bows to creature, knowing that it won't do harm or mean harm, it bows back and comes up to him. He picks it up between both his hands and pokes at its cheek. Soft and squishly like jelly. He then sets them down on a rock nearby. "Do you know where a river or stream is by chance? I need to wash my clothes and myself," Adachi says chuckling to himself. The kodama nods its head as he places it down. It leads him along with others that appear beside Adachi, one materialized on his shoulder and sat there. He giggles and continues walking. A few minutes pass and Adachi can hear running water, he knows that they are close by a river or stream. Beyond a few trees, he sees a clear river, rocks on the side so he can rinse his clothes thoroughly. He looks around the surrounding area of the river and sees a few deer drinking from it along with fish swimming within the water. He bows to the many kodama who seem to like Adachi's presence. The one his shoulder stays as the others seem dematerialize, Adachi pets the one on his shoulder with his finger and holds his palm out to set them down on a rock nearby, along with his clothes. 

"Well, time to clean myself up huh?" Adachi starts to undress, taking off his sash, holding his robe on, setting it down and rinsing it in the river. He spreads it out in the rock and proceeds to do the same with his inner robe. Soon he is left bare aside from his fundoshi covering his bits. Pale smooth skin, as he didn't really go out much when he was in the village. Moles here and there. He covers himself with his arms out of habit, knowing that no one was here but still felt shy and self conscious of himself. Looking down at his fundoshi, and wonders if he has to take it off. _Do I actually?_

He looks around once more and sighs. _Well, no one is looking anyways, might as well._ He steps out of his fundoshi and he is now fully naked. Still covering himself with his arms he makes sure to rinse his fundoshi and air dry it as he heads to the river. He sinks into the river slowly until its almost up to his chest. He shivers how cold it is but quickly dips his head in to get it over with. He spends his time cleaning himself with his best effort. 

Among the trees, lies a wolf, hungry and salivating in the mouth as it watches Adachi. Watching Adachi's body, droplets of water trailing down and pooling at his collarbones, his dainty arms and small back. The wolf turns away, afraid of what it might do. But stays facing the other way, protecting and guarding him regardless.

* * *

Adachi heads back to the house after the bath and taking care some business, setting off in the early morning, it is now a bit past noon. The kodama that was on his shoulder decides to leave, bowing before walking back towards the trees. 

"Careful on your way back and thank you for leading me towards a river." Adachi calls out and the kodama disappears. He folds his dried clothes and puts them away, he decides to explore some more, wanting to cover more ground before its night. He sets off flint store in his robe as he heads out into the forest again. 

Marking his path down with scratches on rocks as he heads deeper and deeper into the woods. The trees slightly thicker as he walks between the bushes and some low hanging branches. He reaches another clearing, this more dangerous as it was a cliffside. A trees with weirdly shaped fruit hang on it. _Wait, are those faces?_

He thinks about approaching it or leaving it, but decides to go towards it. As he gets closer, he concludes that they are fruit but with human faces. He reaches out to touch one but stops when the face looks at him and smiles. He feels anxious as the rest start to the do the same and he backs a bit. Wondering whether he should go on and pluck one or not. _Maybe this can help my mother?_ He plucks one and the tree does nothing, one more and he decides to just keep the two. As he starts to walk away, the fruits on the tree start laughing. Laughing, and laughing, laughter's of different pitches ring out until they start to wilt while laughing. Their laughter lowering pitches, distorted and it stops. The now wilted fruits fall on the ground, greyed and with the face of laughter. Adachi stands there, frozen at what just happened. He looks at the tree, and then fruits, walking away, not wanting to see anything else as the sun starts to set.

He follows his markings back and heads inside just as the sun sets and night appears. Noises that sound neither man or animal ring in the distance as Adachi examines the fruits he picked. Smiling faces still on them from when he first picked them, unchanging as he sets them aside. _I wonder if Fujisaki will know what kind of fruit it is._

He starts the fire once more, noticing there's fresh firewood again. This time, with some wild berries placed on a leaf on the floor next to the fire pit. _How do things just appear? Is it someone? Or something?_ He eats some of the food he packed and drinks some water he had before. He looks at his reserve and knows he'll need more water, glad that he marked the path that lead him to river. He decides to go tomorrow and takes off his outer robe, getting ready for bed as he still wonders who, or what gave him the berries and the fresh firewood. The crackling of the wood fills the room and he gets under the covers of the futon and tries to sleep. Once again leaving the fire burning. 

* * *

Outside the house, within the trees, the wolf walks a bit closer towards the small house. It shapeshifts into a handsome man, light brown hair with pristine white robes. No animal characteristics adorn his head, no horns either. Instead branches, sprouting flowers if the season, making him look ethereal. He walks a bit closer, wanting to get a good look at the man inside the house.

_Beautiful._

Was what he thought when he saw him in the river. His body calling out to him but unable to get closer, in fear of scaring him off. He was skeptical at first when he saw him enter the forest. Wondering what human would dare venture into the forest, especially at night. When the yokai are out and about, looking for prey to eat. He thought he was gonna get eaten by the tsurube otoshi like almost all humans do when they enter the forest. But he didn't and for some reason, he was happy about that. Relieved even. 

_Maybe he's different._

He followed him to the house when he was ready, to save him, even if it caused problems. He couldn't let this man get eaten or die. He just couldn't. Something told him he can't let this man die.

Thankfully the man made it to the small house that was in the middle of the forest, which surprised him at how much the man ran. Once he saw him inside the house, he shifts into his other form, and walking up to the tsurube otoshi, he speaks, "Leave. You know you can't enter there. It's sacred land." 

The yokai looks at him with a face of someone who got their candy taken away, it grumbles a complaint, "But I haven't eaten! And there's a perfectly good human there! You know how hungry we yokai get. I'll just go over and crush the-" 

" _ **Do you want to die?"**_ he threatens as he steps closer to the yokai, the air gradually darker and heavier as the tsurube otoshi looks at him with a fearful face, " _ **You do know what happens to those to who are foolish enough to test me, correct?"**_ His eyes glow a red as he glares at the other yokai. Daring him to challenge him.

"Y-yes! I-I do know! I-I was jus-"

" _ **Then leave. NOW."**_

The yokai leaves, grumbling to himself and stomps away. He shifts back into a wolf, not needing to worry anymore about the man as the house will take care of him. 

He followed him when he met the kodama's, knowing that the tree spirits wouldn't show themselves to anyone unless that person is full of harmless intentions. He saw him smile and he swears in all the centuries he's lived, he's never seen a smile so bright and radiant like the one this man has. His voice was soft spoken and warm, he wonders if he could be the cause of that smile and maybe. Hear his name from those lips. 

He watches him, having conflicted thoughts about the beautiful man in the river, wanting to how he would look like under him, moaning and mewling as he drives into him. Marking that pale skin with his mouth to show that he is his. Kissing the various moles he saw on the man, but also how he would look like if he presses the most softest kisses to his skin and embraces him, showing how much he- 

_Wait. How much he what? He loves him? Likes him?_

_Nononono. He can't fall for this human._

But he can't help it, he knows that this isn't bound to end well. It never does. He vaguely remembers a story he heard through the others about how a famous author and shapeshifting cat yokai got together. It was said that they disappeared. Never to be seen again. No one knows what happened to them.

There are countless stories, most end with the yokai getting bored and killing their lover or the human killed by his own kind for loving a yokai. He didn't want any of that for this man, this soft spoken man. He followed him to the tree, letting him approach it as he knows the tree is harmless. He makes sure, however, that the timid man gets home safely.

He makes his decision, he'll protect this human as long as he's in the forest. He can't do anything about his feelings, so he'll let them be and be satisfied by watching from afar. Knowing that he won't tell the human anyways. 

He looks at the man through the window, he's sleeping next to the fire. He softly smiles at how cute he looks while sleeping.

_For now, I'll protect him. As long as he's in my forest, he'll be safe and I'll help him fine what he needs. He wouldn't want more. So let's not hope._

And thus, Kurosawa Yuichi, an old but powerful yokai, decides to help the man in his forest. Starting tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kodama - Harmless tree yokai, bound to a tree as their life source,  
> Tsurube Otoshi - a disembodied head yokai that crushes their prey, whether it be animals or humans and eats them  
> Ninmenju - a strange tree which bears human looking fruit depending on the season, they smile and laugh. If they laugh too hard, the fruit wilts and falls off


End file.
